Dunfermline: Matty Todd taken off during East Fife friendly

Midfielder Matty Todd, who suffered two lengthy absences last season, was sent to hospital after picking up a suspected shoulder or collarbone problem during the match at East Fife.

He was taken off with 17 minutes gone, having come on at half-time, and boss James McPake said: "Obviously Matty went off, which is disappointing.

"He's away to the hospital with a shoulder or collarbone (injury), so that's a real sore one for the boy. We'll see how he is."

Todd's injury was the main concern following a low-key opening friendly at New Bayview, which the League Two Fifers won by a 2-0 scoreline.

Dunfermline, who fielded two trialists from the start - at left back and in central midfield - fell behind 10 minutes from half-time thanks to a fine strike from range by Kieran Millar.

At the interval, McPake replaced his entire starting eleven, which saw two more trialists - one of which was a goalkeeper - given a chance to impress.

Dick Campbell's hosts clinched their victory just after the hour mark when Scott Shepherd latched on to a through pass from a trialist before finishing well across goal from around 18 yards.

Dunfermline lost in their pre-season opener at New Bayview. (Image: Newsquest.)

When asked if he got what he wanted from the game, McPake commented: "I think we did, in terms of at the back of a hard week, topping up their minutes.

"I think East Fife would've got out of it what they were looking for as well but, just from our point of view, yeah it was important to get two teams on the pitch and get some minutes into everyone."

In being asked for his assessment of the trialists that played, the boss continued: "I've seen more of them through the week in terms of the training.

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"It was never really a case of there'll be judgement on tonight's performances. We know the work they've put in.

"That's not making excuses. We still want to come and score goals, have shots, whatever you're looking for at the top end of the pitch, but we've seen enough of the trialists through the week and we'll just keep working with them.

"Tonight was important in terms of match fitness, in terms of that wee bit of being back on the pitch, and that's what we got out of the game.

"That's what you use pre-season for. You adapt your weeks in terms of how you would normally train building into a game, so it's just exactly what I said."

Several of Athletic's up-and-coming youngsters were given game time, including Sam Young, Ewan McLeod, Taylor and Jake Sutherland, Andrew Tod, and Liam Hoggan.

"I thought in the first 45 in particular Sam Young and Ewan McLeod were really good," McPake noted.

"Sam in particular I thought was really good at what he did. He won his headers and, playing against (Nathan) Austin, he's experienced and he's a good striker as well, so it's great for him. It's great for Ewan.

"I know they're playing in the reserves, and they're doing pretty well in the reserves, but you jump a level when you're in with first team players and you're having to produce that, but I thought those two in particular in the first half were excellent.

"Taylor was the standout in the second 45. He's been great in training in the last seven or eight days as well."

Next up for the Pars is their second warm-up match at League One Cove Rangers - who they will also face in the group stage of the Premier Sports Cup - on Tuesday evening.

McPake hopes that new signing, Kieran Ngwenya, along with Chris Kane and Ewan Otoo, who all played no part at New Bayview, will get at least 45 minutes under their belts, adding: "We'll take a big squad again and we'll work out the minutes, who needs what.

"Tonight we were without Chris Kane, Ewan Otoo and Kieran Ngwenya. They'll hopefully come back in and get some minutes, so it'll be similar for them come Tuesday night. We'll try and get 45 minutes into them.

"They're on a different programme. We knew this pitch as well, so we were never going to take risks with those three in particular.

"Apart from Matty, and then you lose two goals - you never want to lose goals, and you want to score, you want to create - but we knew what we were up here to do.

"We were topping the minutes up and they were doing wee bits of extra as well. We'll work over the weekend and we'll get ready for Cove."

Pars (first half): Mehmet, Comrie, Trialist, Benedictus, Trialist, Chalmers, Wighton, McCann, O'Halloran, Young, McLeod.

Second half: Trialist, Ritchie-Hosler, Hamilton, Breen, Fisher, Hoggan, Tod, Todd, Trialist, T. Sutherland, J. Sutherland.

Sub not used: Margetts.